Disinfection apparatus, particularly for sputum cups



Jan. 29 1924'. 1,482,281

J. L. C. WORTMAN ET AL DISINFECTION APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR SPUTUM CUPS Filed July 5, 1923 M I 1Q; I

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[um/an mal W 1NVENTOR5 Jan (Mai @nzell; l/Zmw ATTORNE Y1 Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

v UMTE T es QFFEE J'AN LAMBERT CORNELIS WQRTMAN AND AART VISSER, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHER- LANDS, ASSIGNORS T NEDEELANID SCI -IE FABRIEK VAN BRONSWERKEN VOOR-HEEN BECHT & DYSERINCK, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

DISINFEQTION APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR SPUTUIVE CUPS.

Application filed July 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAN LAMBERT Con- NELIS WORTMAN and AART Vrssnn, both residing at Amsterdam, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Disinfection Apparatus, Particularly for Sputum Cups (for which we have filed application in the Netherlands, the 1 1th of November, 1921), of which the 'following is a specification;

Up to now the known apparatuses and processes for the disinfection of sputum cups do not give the dcsired results, which must be ascribed to various causes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a disinfectionapparatus, particularly for sputum-cups, whereby the [drawbacks pertaining to the known apparatuses are removed and whereby considerable advantages are obtained; Especially in sanatariums and in the departments for tuberculosis in hospitals the chance of infection withthe disease is very great and therefore a disinfection of the sputum cups is of the utmost importance.

Though. the invention is'of course also applicable to other purposes, for simplicitys sake an apparatus of this kind will be described especially withreference to the dis infecting of sputum cups.

Chemical disinfecting-means, which can he applied for disinfecting faeces and urine, have proved to be unsuitable for disinfecting sputum, which has been shown for example by Spengler and Cornet.

For disinfecting sputum and sputum cups some apparatuses are already in use, as for instance the apparatus of Tobiesen. In these apparatuses slightly superheated steam is used, but as the gases developed thereby have a very unpleasant smell, this method has very great drawbacks.

Moreover the sputum cups must be cleansed and emptied manually. which drawback has been partly removed by the apparatus of Philippip (See Ergebnisse und Fortschritte des Krankenhauswesens, Jahrbuch Volume I, 1912, Prof. Dr. E. Dietrich and Prof. Dr. J. Grober.)

The apparatus according to the present invention complies with every technical and hygienic requirement, whilst by reason of its simplicity no difficulties are experienced in 1923. Serial No. 649,752.

its use by technically unschooled people. Moreover neither the cups nor the contents come into contact with the hands of the attendants which means an advantage. over the older methods and apparatuses, needing no further comment.

The annexed drawings illustrate the invention by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the container showing a portion of the lid-in the open position-and with the front-side removed.

Fig. 2 is a schematic View of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example of a frame 14 for the cups and Fig. 4 is a similar View of a frame 15 for securing a frame provided with cups.

The disinfection-apparatus according to the invention consists of a rectangular container 1 with a double walled bottom, which is connected to steamand condensing pipes 1, 3) and atomizers 5 are provided, which are connected by pipes 6 to a liquid reservoir 7. In the container 1 an axle 8 is provided, 011 which frame devices It for placing cups, etc, are mounted.

The tank 7 is located at a certain distance above the container 1 and contains water and, for instance, soda. This tank is preferably double-walled and is connected to a .hot-water-pipe 9 and also to steamand condensing-pipes 11 and 10 respectively. The tank 7 may thus be filled with hot water to which the necessary quantity of soda may be added. By opening the steam-cock the temperature can be raised to the desired degree, for instance to the boiling point.

The axle 8 in the container 1 is provided with one or more grooves 13, in which grooves 13 one or more frames 14 for carrying the cups, etc., fit. By means of a rectangular frame 15 the frames 14 can be fastened with the cups to the grooves 13, for which purpose a tumbler-clamping-screw 16 may be provided. The axle 8 can be rotated by means of a handwheel 17 or the like.

In the rear side of the container 1, the atomizers 5 are provided, these atomizers being connected to the above-mentioned tank 7 for the soda-solution. In rotating the hand-wheel 17 a second or third frame with cups therein can be placed in the grooves, after which the apparatus is closed up by a lid 18.

The liquid from the tank 7 is then allowed to enter the container 1 through the atomizers and the axle 8 is rotated slowly, so that the internal and external surfaces of the cups come into contact with the liquid. The cups can be turned with their openings to the atomizers, so that the inner sides of the cups come into direct contact with the liquid from the atomizers; the handwheel being preferably marked so as to indicate the position of the cups. On the bottom of the container the sputum and the soda-solution intermingle and the liquid resulting therefrom is allowed to flow off to a sewer through the outlet-pipe 19 in the bottom of the container, after the liquid has been maintained at a temperature of above 100 G. for a sufficiently long period by the application of steam.

After emptying the container 1 hot water is sprayed into the same through the pipe 20 and atomizers 5, so that what remains of the liquid is thus washed away, and a further supply of water is then admitted tothe container till the cups are entirely submerged; the inlet-ccck 20 being then shut off and the steam-cock 21 opened, in order to admit steam to the double bottom so that the contents of the container may be brought to the boiling-point and this temperature is maintained for about 15 minutes. The sputum-cups are then entirely sterile, and the liquid in the container is then allowed to flow off to the sewer through the cock 22; the axis being again rotated slowly in order to remove the last remains of water from the cups, and the container is then opened. By the high temperature of the cups the water still present is rapidly evaporated and the cups are removed from the container in a quite dry state, Without coming into contact with the hands of the attendants.

lVe claim:

1. Disinfection-apparatus more particularly for sputum-cups, comprising a container having a double bottom, a series of atomizers in the wall of the container, a liquid reservoir, liquid conduits in communication with the atomizers and with the liquid reservoir, steam and condensing con duits in communication with the double bottom of the container and with the reservoir for raising the temperature of the liquid contents oi the container and reservoir, a rotary axle mounted in the container, and portable frames for carrying the cups and supporting same upon said axle.

2. Disinfection-apparatus more particularly for sputum-cups, comprising a container having a double bottom, a series of atomizers in the side wall of the container, a liquid reservoir mounted at a higher level than the container, conduits for supplying water direct to the atomizers and to the res ervoir, conduits for supplying liquid to the atomizers from the reservoir, steam and condensing conduits in communication with the double bottom of'theeontainer and with the reservoir for raising-the temperature of the liquid contents of the container and reservoir, a rotary axle mounted in the container, portable frames for carrying the cups and supporting same upon the axle, and means for rotating the axle with the cups thereon.

In testimony whereof we a-flix our signatures.

JAN LAMBERT CORNELIS WORTMAN.

AART VISSER.

Witnesses:

H. P. KENYPERD, W. Mouwor. 

